Monday, February 6, 2012

There are so many of us out there. Aspiring authors, bloggers (whether established or beginning), industry peeps, even published authors, all of whom want to build their online platforms. We write insightful posts and articles, actively blog within the blogosphere, take part in challenges, competitions, and contests galore.

We have the passion and the drive to make it, but…we could all do with a bit of support.

So I started thinking. What if we link all these people together? What if we create a way to meet people in a similar position, people who genuinely want to help build our online platform while at the same time building theirs? People who want to pay it forward in the spirit of writerly writerness and blogging beautificity (and see it come back to them in turn).

And so, my Writers’ Platform-Building Campaign was born.

What is the Campaign?

Basically, the Campaign is a way to link those of us in the writing community together with the aim of helping to build our online platforms. The Campaigners are all bloggers in a similar position, who genuinely want to pay it forward, make connections and friends within the writing community, and help build each others' online platforms while at the same time building theirs.

As the Campaign kicks off, you'll have the names and blog addresses of the Campaigners on my List of Campaigners page (above), so you can keep in touch with the other Campaigners. That way you’ll have a list of bloggers in the same position as you, who genuinely want to help you succeed. And you'll be able to meet those who have the most in common with you. You can visit their blogs and other places they haunt, follow along, leave comments galore, and share your highs and lows as you journey through the blogosphere and build your online platform. And they'll be doing the same for you.

If you want to find out a bit more about past Campaigns, check out the info I've included here.

The Team

This year I have a fantastic group of people who've volunteered to help me out with the Campaign. For the Fourth Campaign, the core Campaign Team comprises myself, Michael Offutt, K.T. Hanna, Ozlem Yikici, and Steph Schmidt, and others will be helping us out in other respects too. I'd love it if you could make your way around and follow all these awesome people, and maybe even leave a comment to say thanks for their time and effort. I'll be including all the fabulous volunteers' links in relevant posts as the Campaign progresses.

Key Dates

This Fourth Campaign will be a mini-Campaign, and will run from today until Saturday, March 17, 2012.

The List of Campaigners will close on Wednesday, February 15th, so make sure you sign up before then.

The First Campaigner Challenge will begin on Monday, February 20th and end on Saturday, February 25th.

The Second Campaigner Challenge will begin on Monday, March 5th and end on Saturday, March 10th.

Organized Campaign Events

During the Campaign:

I'll be running the two Campaigner Challenges I mentioned above.

each Friday I'll post a Campaigner Notice-Board, where you can announce blogfests, book launches, things you'd like to share with your other Campaigners, etc etc. You'll need to send me the information in advance, and I've made up a form to make things easier. If you want me to include your details in this Friday's post (February 10th), please fill out this form.

there will be lots of Twitter-talk at #writecampaign, so make sure you jump in and take part to meet, get to know, and encourage your fellow Campaigners.

As this is a mini-Campaign, these are the only organized Campaign events. As always, it's up to you how involved you want to be.

As in the Third Campaign, I'm also asking for people who'd like to volunteer to judge the Campaigner Challenges and/or donate a prize (you can tell me your preference in the form I'll be asking you to fill out below).

How to join?

If you’d like to join the Fourth Campaign, here’s what you’ll need to do:

follow me if you haven't already, so you can check out the Campaigner Notice-Board on Fridays and take part in Campaigner Challenges

comment on this post, to let the other Campaigners know you’ll be coming on board

blog about the Campaign to help spread the word (include a link to this post and encourage your followers to join)

tweet about the Campaign if you're on Twitter, and include a link to this post. Follow me here if you wish

pop a link to this post on Facebook (if you’re a Facebook fan) and/or on Google Plus if that's your favorite haunt. Or anywhere else you hang out, it's up to you. My links to Facebook, Google Plus, and LinkedIn are on my sidebar if you want to find me there

keep an eye out for posts/comments/tweets by other Campaigners (and particularly those in your Campaigner Group) and do your best to comment on as many as you can, as often as you can. Also consider following your fellow Campaigners on Twitter and liking them on Facebook, mentioning their blog posts and re-tweeting their tweets, and otherwise supporting them

get to know your fellow Campaigners at #writecampaign on Twitter

join in my Campaigner Challenges if you wish (you don't have to, of course). They're a great way to get to know other Campaigners and have fun at the same time.

Hi! Goodness knows where I was last year when your Campaigns were running (on the Dark Side of the Moon probably). I'm here now, though, and I'd love to participate. Just one thing (hope you notice this) - I wrote on my form I'd be happy to help out with the first Campaign. I can't because I'm away then - but I'll help out with the second, no problem!

Excellent! I am definitely in and way more prepared this time. Joining your last Campaign after only starting my blog 5 days earlier was a wee bit overwhelming last time! Can't wait. Thanks so much for organizing it again :)

I just filled out the form. The requisite blog post I wrote about it has got to be the shortest post by far I've ever written! I'm sure I'll be in a small minority again for writing historical fiction, but it's a great opportunity to network and learn about contests and bloghops.

I'm in! Can't wait to start connecting! (think I'll be joining more than one group since the sci-fi group is so small.) I'm going to have to be careful not to bite off more than I can chew with this campaign. lol

I am new to this, but I have been waiting for it since last year. I am totally on board. I am not sure what all I have to do, but I will figure it out. I will post about it on Thursday-I am already committed to a blogfest post for Wed. I am super excited.

Hi guys, welcome to you all! It's so wonderful to see so many fabulous people coming on board!!! We've got 139 Campaigners so far, and more to come, yay! Stay tuned on Monday for my Beta Match, to help you find critique partners and beta readers, and my first Campaigner Challenge on Feb 20th. I can't wait. And don't forget to put your name down in groups on my List of Campaigners, and to start making the rounds to meet your fellow Campaigners :)

@Elise, of course. Just click on my "followers" badge on the right side of my blog, where it says "To Infinity and Beyond" :)

*Sniff, sniff* I'll have to skip out on this one. :( On Feb. 20th, the first challenge, I'll be on the operating table having spine surgery. No worries, I have one of the best neuro surgeons on board! I will definitely miss everyone and hope it's a blast!

For anyone contemplating joining in, go for it!!! You won't be disappointed!

Rachael Harrie

I write YA Horror, Dark Fantasy, and Psychological Thrillers, and spend my day imagining evil plot twists and psychotic characters. When I'm not thinking up ways to make you squirm, you'll find me blogging up a storm (with the occasional Twitter and Facebook foray as well), planning for my next Campaign, wondering whether to make Write Hope a permanent fundraiser for charity, counting down the days to the next WriteOnCon, and diving into another round of critiques with my CPs.

I blog on every second Monday. And other times as the whim takes me :)

My WIP - DARK

Sixteen-year-old Sydney Price is blinded by the radical group Dark, who demand that she betray her scientist brother if she wants to save his life.

Top Writing Blog Award Finalist

Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

Member of SCBWI

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